Syria, SOUQ WADI BARADA RIVER ROCK BRIDGE ZABADANI ~ 1836 Art Print Engraving

Description: PASS OF SOUK BARRADA - NEAR ZEBDANI Artist: William Henry Bartlett ____________ Engraver: J. Tingle Note: the title in the table above is printed below the engraving CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE ANTIQUE VIEWS OF MIDDLE EASTERN SCENERY AND TOPOGRAPHICAL VIEWS LIKE THIS ONE!! AN ANTIQUE STEEL ENGRAVING MADE IN THE LATE 1830s! VERY OLD WORLD! INCREDIBLE DETAIL! FROM THE ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION: The Barrada is one of the rivers which water Damascus; and it is with sufficient reason believed to be the one called Pharpar, in the comparison made by Naaman between the waters of Damascus and those of Israel, when directed by Elisha to wash himself seven times in the Jordan, that he might be cleansed of his leprosy: "Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean?" And it is added, "He turned, and went away in a rage." As it is clear that this insulting comparison was particularly levelled at the river Jordan, it may be proper to remark, that he had lately crossed that river; and as he doubtless went by the usual route from Damascus, which would have led him over the river somewhere near to where Jacob's Bridge now stands, if not even higher up towards the sources of the river, beyond the lake Huleh-where the Jordan is an inconsiderable stream in summer-the comparison might naturally enough rise to the mind of one familiar with the abundant streams which bless Damascus, and which, in the lower part of their course greatly exceed the Jordan at the high point where it had been crossed by the Syrian noble. The comparison was unfair, because the waters of Damascus near their ending, are compared with the waters of Israel near their beginning: the conditions would have been more equal had the Jordan at Jacob's Bridge been compared with the Barrada near Zebdani, at the point represented in our engraving; and that comparison would not have been to the disadvantage of the Jordan. The course of the Barrada, before it issues out from a cleft in the mountains into the plains of Damascus, is picturesque and interesting. The traveller who proceeds from Baalbec, over Anti-Libanus, to Damascus, has opportunities of becoming well acquainted with the "Golden Stream" (Chrysorrhoea), by which name the ancient geographers knew the Barrada. This stream rises in the mountains behind the village of Zurgeia, which belong to the eastern declivities of Anti-Libanus. After travelling a day's journey among the gradually lessening ranges which terminate in the plain of Damascus, the traveller reaches the village of Zebdani, in a beautiful valley of the same name, which he finds to be traversed and abundantly irrigated by the same stream, the presence of which has at times cheered his way since the morning. At this place the Barrada is joined by a rivulet which, rises in the mountains behind Zebdani. After passing through the beautiful gardens for which this place is celebrated, the road for some miles quits the course of the river, and when we come upon it again, its stream is found to have been much increased by the tributaries which have by the way flowed into it. The road then follows the windings of the stream, through a grand pass in the mountains, hemmed in by dark perpendicular cliffs, through which the stream rushes, sparkling with white foam. A little beyond this, the stream forms a beautiful cascade of two falls, tumbling over the rocks, and numerous surging and boiling streams of water gushing through the broken and dissevered masses. It is not far below these falls that the river is crossed by the stone bridge represented in the engraving. This bridge is called Djissr es-Souk, and is at the head of the valley, which takes its name (Wady Barrada) from the river. At this part the mountains approach each other, and form a pass exceedingly wild and picturesque. On the right-hand side, and in places that seem quite inaccessible, are five or six chambers, cut in the scarped face of the rock. These are believed by the natives to be the work of the Christians (of the Greek empire) "who possessed the country before the Arabian conquest; and to them, indeed, most of the ancient structures of Syria are ascribed. About half a mile below the bridge is a small village called es-Souk (the market), so called from its being the seat of a considerable weekly fair or market. It is from this village that the bridge above derives its name of Djissr Souk, or Market-bridge. From this place the course of the river through the widening valley is overshadowed by trees, and marked by a zig-zig of lively and refreshing green, contrasting finely with the white rocks around. And so it goes on, occasionally passing by other villages, and under other bridges, the road to Damascus coming out only occasionally upon its verdant banks; until at length the river comes out in a copious and beautifully clear stream into the plain of Damascus, through a cleft in the mountains. It is then immediately divided into three smaller courses; the largest, which is the middle One, runs directly to the city, and is there distributed to the different public fountains, baths, and cisterns, while the other two, branching off right and left, contribute mainly to the luxuriant vegetation which adorns the environs. South-east of the city, the scattered and gently diminished waters re-unite into one channel, and, after flowing towards the eastern hills for about five miles, are finally lost in a marsh called the Bahr el-Merj-the Meadow-Lake. PRINT DATE: This lithograph was printed in the late 1830s; it is not a modern reproduction in any way. PRINT SIZE: 7 inches by 10 inches including white border of approximately one inch on each side (not shown in scan). PRINT CONDITION: Condition is fine. Bright and clean. Blank on reverse. BIOGRAPHY OF ARTIST: William Henry Bartlett, (b London, 26 March 1809; died at sea off Malta, 13 Sept 1854) was an English draughtsman, active also in the Near East, Continental Europe and North America. He was a prolific artist and an intrepid traveller. His work became widely known through numerous engravings after his drawings published in his own and other writers' topographical books. His primary concern was to extract the picturesque aspects of a place and by means of established pictorial conventions to render 'lively impressions of actual sights', as he wrote in the preface to The Nile Boat (London, 1849). The background for his work on the Middle East and the Holy Land, of which the picture represented is one of his several hundred illustrations on the subject, is as follows: In the early 1800s, the middle east was a very popular subject. Between 1790, when James Bruce's "Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile" appeared, and 1818, when Edward Daniel Clarke's eight volumes on "Travels in Various Countries of Europe, Asia and Africa were published, more than twenty noteworthy travel books about the Near and Middle East were placed before the public. Napoleon's conquest of Egypt and his disastrous campaign in Syria had attracted considerable attention to the East even as Byron's travels and poetry, a decade later, stirred romantic imaginings about Turkey, Greece, and the Levant. The inter-relationships of Muhammed Ali, Sultan Mahmud, and Tsar Nicholas also guaranteed that, politically, western Europe had to remain alert to happenings at the eastern end of the Mediterranean. And, of course, the building of railways in France and the introduction of the steamship greatly facilitated travel to the Middle East. Though these were strong influences on western travellers, it is questionable, in Bartlett's case, if any affected him more than the religious one. His detailed knowledge of the scriptures and of biblical history is apparent throughout his writings. He wanted to see the lands of the Old and New Testament as much for his own sake as he did for the sketches he was commissioned to take from the London, England publishing firm of H. Fisher and Son. So Bartlett set out for the middle east on January second, 1834, accompanied by his wife. Mr. Bartlett proceeded directly to Paris; thence by the nearest route to Naples where the couple spent some time on those pleasant shores. From there, Mr Bartlett took leave of his wife, who returned reluctantly to England by herself, while he engaged passage to Malta, and from there to Alexandria and finally to Beirut Lebanon. From here he began his many excursions into the inland of Syria and neighboring areas. On leaving Beirut, Mr. Bartlett followed the sea shore to Tripoli, and then ascended the steeps of Lebanon and visited Baalbec. His intended visit to Jerusalem, the chief object of his journey, was defeated by the open war, in which the Holy City had been taken by Egyptian forces loyal to Mohammed Ali and his son Ibrahim Pasha, who wrested control of Palestine from the Ottomans for a 10-year period beginning in 1831. From Balbec, he therefore proceeded to Antioch and to Tarsus, along which part of this journey he was taken by a serious fever. Having completed his tour in syria, and taken sketches of all the biblical and classical scenes in his route, Bartlett returned to London in January, 1835, a full year after his departure. He had performed his engagements greatly to the satisfaction of his publisher, and immediately began to prepare sketches for the engravers. SHIPPING:Buyers to pay shipping/handling, domestic orders receives priority mail, international orders receive regular mail. We pack properly to protect your item! Please note: the terms used in our auctions for engraving, heliogravure, lithograph, print, plate, photogravure etc. are ALL prints on paper, NOT blocks of steel or wood. "ENGRAVINGS", the term commonly used for these paper prints, were the most common method in the 1700s and 1800s for illustrating old books, and these paper prints or "engravings" were inserted into the book with a tissue guard frontis, usually on much thicker quality rag stock paper, although many were also printed and issued as loose stand alone prints. So this auction is for an antique paper print(s), probably from an old book, of very high quality and usually on very thick rag stock paper. EXTREMELY RARE IN THIS EXCELLENT CONDITION!

Price: 10.39 USD

Location: New Providence, New Jersey

End Time: 2024-10-09T20:24:53.000Z

Shipping Cost: 7.95 USD